A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Melstone$1,050/mo

Typical home $156K (Census) · tax rate est. 1.8% · Housing →

Outlook$760/mo

Typical home $125K (Census) · tax rate 1.05% · Housing →

The difference: $290 a month, about $3,500 a year, between Melstone and Outlook.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Montana ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools

B+MelstoneBetter than 69% of districts in the state –OutlookNot graded

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

MelstoneOutlook

Snow a year43″31″

January low14°F 2°F

July high88°F 81°F

Growing season (days)141d 125d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)72nd 8th

Outdoors & history

MelstoneOutlook

Settled1908 1913

National Register places—1

Famous people born here—1

Community

MelstoneOutlook

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

213 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MelstoneMT OutlookMT

Melstone ↔ Outlook213 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Montana average

MelstoneOutlook

People

Population 80Highest 51Lowest

Median age 47.5±14.8Lowest 18% above MT 51.8±28.1Highest 28% above MT

Outlook and Melstone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 27.5%±28.3Highest MT: 21% 23.5%±40.4Lowest MT: 21%

Melstone and Outlook are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 11.3%±40.1Lowest MT: 20.1% 37.3%±31.7Highest MT: 20.1%

Outlook and Melstone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 9.4%Lowest MT: 35.2% 33.3%Highest MT: 35.2%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±19.4Lowest MT: 5.2% 3.9%±22.3Highest MT: 5.2%

Outlook and Melstone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $65,625±$20kHighest 9% below MT $58,125±$8kLowest 20% below MT

Melstone and Outlook are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $156,300±$152kHighest 58% below MT $125,000±$81kLowest 67% below MT

Melstone and Outlook are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly — $1,313 51% below MT

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 100%±100 MT: 44.8% —

Below poverty line 17.5%Highest MT: 11.5% 9.8%Lowest MT: 11.5%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 93.5%Lowest MT: 69.2% 100%Highest MT: 69.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1985Highest 4 yrs newer than MT 1983Lowest 2 yrs newer than MT

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 28 minHighest 45% above MT 26 minLowest 36% above MT

Work from home 12.8%±17.7Lowest MT: 12.5% 31.3%±12.8Highest MT: 12.5%

Outlook and Melstone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 9.8%Highest 0%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 64.3 miHighest 12.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.49Highest 0.12Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Billings (34%)Plentywood (54%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in OutlookFew work in Melstone

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.7%Highest 0.1%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.1 miLowest 0.5 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 0.4 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 53.6Highest 17.8Lowest

Schools

School district Melstone Elem · Melstone H S—

High school in town Melstone High School—

Students per teacherat that high school 6.5 —

Montana average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Melstone neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Melstone’s Town Square.

Outlook neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Outlook’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Melstone and Outlook

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Towns like Melstone

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Opheim86 people · $49K homes

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Kevin108 people · $65K homes

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Broadview175 people · $166K homes

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Saco140 people · $75K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Melstone vs Outlook

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $290 more a month in Melstone

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

213 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Melstone and Outlook

Towns like Melstone

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